[dlv] Important details - Hotels, Big Sisters, etc. ...

[External Poster]

This is the Diva Las Vegas 2010 announcement mailing list.

If you no longer desire to receive this list, see list
removal instructions below.
. . . . .
In this mailing:

Looking forward to DLV 2010
Correction
Big Sisters
Se habla Espanol
Beginner Open House
Suggested hotels
Rooms and roommates
Please consider
Rides and riders
Administrivia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Looking forward to DLV 2010:

Welcome to those who just joined the list. Plans are moving right
along for Diva Las Vegas 2010.

If you just joined the DLV mailing list, please review last week's
"kick-off" mailing on the web at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/dlv10arc/0004.html

This contains a lot of very important information regarding the
upcoming DLV 2010!
. . .

The DLV organizers are showing a lot of enthusiasm and energy in
planning this year's Diva Las Vegas. We'll have a good mix of
new activities, some new twists to some of our recurring things,
and a few old favorites.

Of special note are such things as our Welcome Celebration on
Monday in a brand-new upscale facility; Beginner Open House
on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday; Theater Night featuring Viva
Elvis; recurring favorites such as Night Of The Soiled Doves,
Limo Tour, Eating Out Night, and our interactive murder-mystery
dinner-theater and many others.
. . . . .

A few notes moving forward:

This mailing contains several items which are often times
overlooked and misunderstood, which can really make a big
difference in your enjoyment of Diva Las Vegas. Please read
this mailing carefully. (It's good for you!) :)

Many who have not attended Diva Las Vegas assume and expect
something similar to FanFair/SCC/Be-All, etc. DLV is totally
different!

Diva Las Vegas does not have a central "headquarters" hotel,
and each day's schedule is different. Each day's activity
locations will be different.

There are also a lot of timeslots in which multiple activities
will be happening.

Prior to DLV, you will want to make plans in advance and have
a good idea of exactly what you want to do, where, and when,
and exactly how you are going to get there.

DLV tends to be very fast-paced, and those who are not aware of
how things work at DLV can easily get lost in the dust. No, the
world is not gonna slow down to let somebody catch up! :)

DLV is a lot of fun, but it can be very intense, and you will
want to be up to speed, so to speak, when things begin.

If you will be attending DLV as a couple or as a group,
please don't be compelled to be "glued" to each other.
You'll most likely enjoy things more if each of you will
do things that you find of interest.

One particular note is to be sure you pay very close
attention to the various deadlines and cut-off dates and
times! Many disappointments in the past have to do with
failing to read, or failing to heed the deadlines!
. . .

Newcomer registration for those who are on this list will begin
around February first. If you are reading this via e-mail, this
includes you. Instructions on how to register will be sent in
a general mailing toward the end of January.

A few important notes about registration:

1. When you register, very shortly afterward you will receive
a validation e-mail. IN THE EVENT YOU RECEIVE ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING AFTER YOU REGISTER, SOMETHING IS WRONG AND WE NEED
TO KNOW ABOUT IT!

Please report any non-receipt of the validation e-mail. Each
year, unfortunately, we run into a few cases of this.

2. You will need to respond, as requested, to the validation
e-mail. This assures us that you have read it (if you reply
without reading it, it will be painfully obvious) and understand
a few things, and that e-mail works both ways between you and us.
. . .

Returnee re-registration is open. If you did not receive a
personal registration link (or, if you just want to do things
the hard way) use the URL:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/register2010.html
. . .

Latest numbers:

As of this time we have 90 validated attendees signed up. In
2009 we hit the 90 mark around the 20th of January, so this
year we are way ahead of things, numbers-wise, so far!

It's still much too early for any kind of a final headcount
projection. Sign-up totals and projections will appear in
these mailings from time to time.

Everything points to a heavy, possibly record turnout this
April. One factor is that there are several formerly-
successful TG events which were either cancelled or abandoned
last year. We are expecting to pick up quite a few regulars
from these cancelled events.

In any case, we don't expect to cut off registration due
to capacity limits. The limiting factors will be the actual
venue capacity of our various activities. For our two largest
(Welcome Celebration and Ending bash), the planned venues
have ample capacity for far more than our expected crowd.
However, many of the smaller activities will most likely
"sell out" with waiting lists, and in most cases it will
be first come, first served, or actually first signed, first
served, and in some cases first paid first served.

Further details about this will appear as activity sign-up
time approaches in early April.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Correction:

Our ending festivities will occur on Friday evening of DLV week.

This was erroneously reported in our last mailing. Sorry for
any misunderstandings.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Big Sisters:

It's natural to be nervous before heading to an event such as
Diva Las Vegas, particularly if you're new and don't know any
of the others yet.

The Big Sisters of Diva Las Vegas can help!

Big Sisters are volunteer DLV veterans who are standing by to
help as needed, either prior to DLV, or during DLV.

Big Sisters are intended mainly for those who are new and don't
have much public exposure, or those who may be feeling a bit
uneasy about the upcoming trip, but Big Sisters are available
to anybody who wants one.

If you haven't been out in public at all, if you're new to public
exposure, your exposure has never been in the mainstream before,
or if there's any reason you feel uneasy or uncertain about the
upcoming trip, the Big Sisters are here to help, either before
DLV, during DLV, or both.

Before DLV, if you would like to correspond with somebody
one-to-one about concerns regarding DLV, just send a brief
note to dlv@geekbabe.com and say that you would like to get
in touch with a Big Sister. Examples of concerns might be
questions that you don't feel comfortable asking on one of
the mailing lists, request for an honest fashion critique,
etc.

During DLV, if you need some fashion advice, Big Sisters can
help.

If you are uneasy and can't get the nerve to walk out of your
hotel room (this has happened), phone us, we'll have a Big
Sister meet you, assure you, and escort you if necessary.

If you would like to be put in touch with a Big Sister, just
send a note to bigsister@geekbabe.com and we'll get you in
contact with one.

Also, if you have attended DLV in the past and would like to
volunteer to spend some time helping others, please say so and
volunteer to be a Big Sister. (Just reply to this mailing or
e-mail bigsister@geekbabe.com and state you would like to
volunteer to be a Big Sister.) The primary qualification is
the desire to help others.

You can also sign up to have a Big Sister, or volunteer to be a
Big Sister on the web as you register.

Big thanks to Nora for coordinating our Big Sister Program!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Se habla Espanol:

Bienvenidos! Si el espanol is su lenguage nativa y Ud. tiene
dificultad comprendiendo qualquier cosa sobre DLV, Ud. nos puede
mandar sus preguntas por correo electronico en espanol, y se los
mandaremos a uno de nuestros voluntarios que hablan espanol. - La
direccion electronica es: dlv@geekbabe.com - Muchas Gracias.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Beginner Open House:

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of DLV week we have a very
special "Open House" geared primarily toward those who are
new, who do not have much public exposure, and may be a bit
shy about taking those very important steps out.

This will be held in a private condominium and will be
hosted by a supportive GG who has been active with DLV
for several years.

Changing facilities will be available at the Beginner Open
House, and even if you're not a beginner who just needs a
place to change, you will be welcome too!

For those who are a bit nervous, we're making arrangements
for a carpool and escort from the Monday Open House to the
Welcome Celebration. Yes, you're welcome to ride along even
if you're not new and nervous! :)

Thanks to Sarona for coordinating the Beginner Open House!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Suggested hotels:

Unlike most other TG events, Diva Las Vegas is not centered
around a particular hotel.

We have no "headquarters" in a hotel, nor a vendor hall
nor other facilities which are common at many of the other
TG events.

You, as a DLV attendee, are free to stay anywhere you wish.

We do make suggestions on where to stay, for those who want
to know where DLVers in the past have reported good service
and attitude, and for those who wish to stay in the proximity
of other DLVers.

These suggestions were determined by a vote of the DLV
Organizers Group last November.

For DLV 2010, each of our suggested hotels will have a DLV
volunteer host or hostess on site, who will act as a local
contact person and will be planning a daily informal
get-together at each of our suggested hotels.

Further information on these suggested hotels appear on the
web at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2010/2010hotels.html

Ratings and comments on some of these appear on our Big List on
the web at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/vendors/

The Las Vegas Monorail serves all four of our 2010 suggested
hotels. All four offer 24 hour dining of some sort.

It is strongly suggested that those who will be needing rides
to and from DLV activities stay in one of our suggested
hotels and use the daily get-togethers to arrange rides with
others to the various activities.

Here are our suggested hotels for DLV 2010 (in alphabetical order):

Harrah's:

This is the first year we've used Harrah's as a DLV suggested
hotel, but we've had attendees stay there off and on for many
years. Harrah's is a mid-price midscale casino hotel on the
center Strip. The "Flavors" buffet is excellent and will be
used for one of our daily lunches. The adjoining Carnaval
Court provides attractions and entertainment day and night.
. . . . .

Imperial Palace:

Large lower-priced midscale casino-hotel dead-center on the
Strip. Location! Location! Location! DLV people stayed at
the Imperal Palace for each and every year of DLV since 1997.
Low-rise rooms are available as well as tower rooms, for those
who may be a bit shy of elevators and a crowded hotel lobby.
Carnaval Court adjoins the property to the north.
. . .

Paris:

For those who wish a more upscale option, this is it! The
Paris is the first major casino-hotel to actively market
to the GLBT community. Again, Location Location Location!
Please be aware, however, that even though the staff of the
Paris promises tolerance and acceptance, it's still a very
large casino-hotel and the public areas can be very crowded,
and full of people of all backgrounds and all attitudes.
. . .

Sahara: This is a large legacy casino-hotel on the north Strip
which has been home away from home for DLVers since the 1990s.
Historically, the Sahara has attracted the largest contingent
of DLV attendees since the early 2000s. The Sahara offers clean
comfortable rooms at very attractive prices.
. . . . . . . . . .

Specific suggestions:

If you want the absolute lowest-priced decent room: Sahara

If you want to stay with the largest contingent of other
DLV attendees: Sahara

If you want a "motel" type room, where you do not have to
take an elevator or traverse a crowded hotel lobby: Imperial
Palace and ask for a "Capri" room.

If you want a more upscale room: Paris

Easiest in-out parking if you will be driving: Sahara

Best management attitude toward GLBT folks: Paris

Best location: Imperial Palace, Harrah's, Paris

Least crowded: Sahara
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rooms and roommates:

We're very aware that lodging will be the greatest expense for
most of you attending DLV. Sharing a room two ways cuts this
expense in half, in one third for three to a room, and 1/4 for
four in a room.

We have a Roommate Clearing House for DLV 2010. You can either
contact our Room Share Coordinator via e-mail at:

roommate@geekbabe.com

or sign up to participate in the Roommate Clearing House
when you register on the web.

When you sign up for roommate matching, we'll ask you a few
questions, such as if you smoke, if you (knowingly) snore,
things like that, in order to make better matches.

On the roommate screen there is also a large blank area into
which you can put any comments or concerns you may have. For
example, you could say something like "I don't care about
smoking or snoring, I just want the cheapest room!" if that's
what you want.

One important caveat! The Roommate Clearing House is a good
faith effort on all parts with no guarantees! Roommates assume
all risks. Please have a contingency plan. Your Room Share
Coordinator, as well as other DLV organizers and volunteers,
will not be responsible if a roommate fails to show, fails to
pay, fails to make reservations, does not get along with you,
or in any other way things don't work out.

Big thanks to Diane for coordinating the Roommate Clearing
House! :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Please consider:

Diva Las Vegas would not be possible if it were not for our
many dedicated volunteers. These volunteers have given their
time, effort, and in many cases their own money to allow DLV
to happen.

Please keep in mind that our DLV volunteers are just that,
volunteers, and not professional event promoters. These
individuals are unpaid, and in too many cases unthanked
for their efforts and contributions.

Although we do strive for consistency and excellence, it
is unrealistic to assume that everything at Diva Las Vegas
will always be "just so" and exactly to your liking.

Yes, if something is indeed wrong, we do need to know about
it, and the sooner the better, but please resist the
temptation to lash out at the nearest volunteer if things
don't seem to be going your way.

At DLV, you will see quite a variation of organizational
details and leadership styles among our many volunteers.
Some volunteers will take care of every last detail of
their activities, others will paint in very broad strokes,
so to speak.

Please be prepared for DLV! Please read the material very
carefully, particularly the Large Final Mailing, as quite
a few of the more vocal complaints in the past had to do
with basic misunderstandings about how DLV works, and items
which were fully covered in the mailings. Please be sure to
pay particular attention to timing, scheduling, and any
deadlines and cut-offs for sign-up or payment!

Please remember that for our valued volunteers, it's their
vacation too! Please allow them to enjoy it!

Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated. :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rides and riders:

Unlike most other TG events, Diva Las Vegas does not happen
in one central location. Most attendees will need to get from
their hotel to the locations of DLV activities.

For those who will not have a vehicle at DLV, there are several
options. One of these is to share a ride with others who will
be heading your way. (At the riders' own risk, of course.)

This year, we are asking people who need rides to stay in one
of our suggested hotels and use the planned daily get-togethers
to make contact with those who have vehicles with available
seats, or to arrange shared taxi rides, etc. (Taking a taxi
in Las Vegas has proven to be quite "safe", even for the
newest of beginners.)

Alternatively, you can use the Diva Las Vegas Discussion
Forum (http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvdisc/) to exchange
contact information between those who have vehicles and
those who need rides.

One thing we do need to mention, and this has been a trouble
spot from the very early days of DLV. Please do not expect
the DLV contact people to find you a ride at short notice!
A ride is very easy to find if you take the initiative to
make arrangements IN ADVANCE, but when a major activity is
just getting underway, we simply do not have the resources
to drop everything and find you a ride. Your understanding
and cooperation are appreciated.

Another important note, and yes we hate things like this as
much as you do, but if you accept a ride from another, please
do so only under the condition that it's totally at your own
risk!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Administrivia:

This is the Diva Las Vegas 2010 Announcement mailing list.

This list is limited to announcements and other high-importance
items.

Replies to this mailing will be forwarded to: dlv@geekbabe.com
Submissions/questions should be sent to: dlv@geekbabe.com
Abuse/complaints should be sent to: abuse@geekbabe.com

Questions/answers and discussion items are redirected to the DLV
Discussion Forum, which may be subscribed to separately or viewed
on the web. To subscribe to the DLV Discussion Forum, send a brief
message to dlvdisc@geekbabe.com and state that you wish to receive
the DLV Discussion Forum.

To view the DLV Discussion Forum on line, visit the URL:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvdisc/
. . . . .

One address for all items regarding this list, additions,
unsubscribe requests, changes, submissions, questions, etc.:

dlv@geekbabe.com <--- NOTE: all lower case

Archives of this list appear on the web at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/dlv10arc/
. . . . .

Diva Las Vegas 2010
April 18 - 23, 2010
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
. . . . .

To unsubscribe: Simply reply to this message with the word
UNSUBSCRIBE in either the Subject: field or the first line of
an OTHERWISE BLANK message body. The word "unsubscribe" (case
is insignificant) should be the only item in the subject field
or the first line of the message, justified to the left.

To assure a successful unsubscribe, please be sure the "This was
addressed to:" line above is included in your unsubscribe request.

To send material to this list: Send submission as regular e-mail
to the address: dlv@geekbabe.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .